By Your Leave is a 1934 American domestic comedy film directed by Lloyd Corrigan from a script by Allan Scott, Lewis Foster, and Sam Mintz.
The screenplay was based on a play of the same name by Gladys Hurlbut and Emma B. C. Wells, which had a short run early in the year at the Morosco Theatre.
It marked the film debuts of two notable Broadway actors, Glenn Anders and Gene Lockhart, the latter of which had a lengthy Hollywood career.
Henry and Ellen Smith are a middle-aged married couple who have settled into a routine life in the suburbs of New York.
In the city, he meets up with Skeets, and the two go out on the town, eventually ending up pursuing Gloria Dawn and her friend Merle, Broadway dancers.
In Henry's suite, he realizes that things are going too fast, and afraid of what might happen, he sneaks out and heads back to his house in the suburbs.
[19] Also in August it was revealed that Allan Scott had written a role specifically into the screenplay for Gene Lockhart, who had been loaned to RKO by MGM.
[21] "Fatty" Arbuckle's widow, Addie McPhail, along with Neil Hamilton and Marion Nixon were also announced as cast members.
[27] Nick Musuraca's cinematography was praised in several publications, including The Hollywood Reporter, which called it "very good", and Motion Picture Daily, which also felt his work merited mention.
[29] The Film Daily gave By Your Leave a lukewarm review, calling the overall production fair, but applauding the work of the cast, Morgan in particular, and giving both the direction and photography "good" grades.
They applauded the acting of the entire cast, singling out Morgan and Margaret Hamilton, as well as lauding the direction and the dialogue.
[31] The Oakland Tribune gave the film a positive review, saying that it would "... rock in gales of laughter the most ennui-ed theater-goer."